[Dixielandjazz] Recorded live in concert vs. studio

Sat Jan 10 13:43:23 PST 2009

There are good things to say about both kind of recordings.  You are right 
that a band can be more spontaneous live rather than in a studio but I guess 
it depends on what you want.

In my personal listening I tend to hear and remember things in a recording. 
I have a favorite  Mozart Oboe recording.  I love it and it's truly 
wonderful except for that one high out of tune note.  Every time I listen to 
it and this may be months apart I anticipate that note and kind of flinch. 
That's the way of all the squeaks and blurps that happen are in live 
recordings.

In live performances those things are ignored.  Slight out of tune or a 
clarinet player that got too enthusiastic or a mute or drumstick that 
bounces across the floor is ignored.  What's a little feedback among 
friends.

That's cool for a live performance.  Lots of dumb stuff escapes the hearing 
of the audience for more than a nanosecond.  Also remember that the live 
audience isn't paying attention in the same way that a person kicked back in 
his easy chair with his beer while wearing headphones.  The next factor is 
that no one will hear that concert ever again unless it is recorded then, it 
might be listened to hundreds of times.

The bad things in a recording become magnified by the number of times you 
play it back.  Things that would have just slipped away now becomes a 
monster.

I have been in recording sessions of all types.  The one I like least is 
sitting in a booth with headphones and some guy staring at you.  The next 
thing I don't care for is recording a band in a studio with a mike on each 
horn all in one room.  IMO that is the worst of the situations because you 
really can't go back and punch in your part if something goes wrong.

I have also been in a booth with the rhythm section in another booth with 
the other horns separated too.  If everything balances it's not a bad way to 
go.   If you miss something you can come back and punch it in or re do a 
solo without burning up time for other musicians.

As a player I would prefer the interaction which is so important in OKOM 
over the studio.  I think that it's important for the listener (like me for 
example ) to be a little less critical of "live" recordings.

One session I was in was kind of funny.  We were all in separate booths and 
we had made several tracks when over the phones I got yelled at.  It seems 
that I was counting while very under my breath and it was still audible. 
You have to watch things like that.  Foot tapping will also be picked up on 
a hot mike.

This kind of recording, that is in separate booths, gives the recording 
engineer the greatest latitude for mixing the recording.  A wrong note can 
be notched out sometimes and things can be fixed.  If you want good balance 
that's what you have to do.  It's just plain difficult to balance a live 
group.
Larry
StL
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <GWW174 at aol.com>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 12:34 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Recorded live in concert vs. studio

>I have always contended that bands recorded live in concert are more 
>exciting
> and 'electrified' and it somehow comes across in the recording.... I can
> listen to just about any CD and tell if it was a 'studio job' or  a 'live 
> in
> concert' job....Have asked several pro musicians if they have an 
> explanation.  One
> theme keeps coming up is that they are striving for 'perfection' in the 
> studio
> jobs.... trying to get it down 'perfect' with as few takes (less studio 
> time)
> as possible....and the band leader wants that 'perfect CD' as 
> representation
> of his band.........whereas on a live concert everyone is  more focused in
> having fun and entertaining an audience...... that sure comes through on 
> the
> performance/recording.
>
> Would love to read some discussion on this
>
>
> Attention band leaders.... would love to spend my CD money on those live
> concert CD's even though to your ears they may not be exactly 
> "perfect"....let's
> not forget that afterall is said and done.....
>
>        IT'S JAZZ
>
> Gordon of Northridge.
> **************New year...new news.  Be the first to know what is making
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